Grand Canyon National Park

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 2018

criteria. Cultural

Hidden Christian Sites in the Nagasaki Region

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 2018

criteria. Cultural

Sacred Island of Okinoshima and Associated Sites in the Munakata Region

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 2017

criteria. Cultural

Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group: Mounded Tombs of Ancient Japan

country. Japan

year of inscription. 2019

criteria. Cultural

The WHS comprises of ancient tombs from the Kofun period (3rd – 6th century CE). Comprising of 49 kofun (Japanese for old mounds) out of a total of 160,000 found throughout Japan, these earthen tombs were used for the burial of the elite class of the era. Varying in size and geometric shapes (like keyhole, scallop, square, or circle), they are evidence of the development of a social order and advanced funerary system.

Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range

country. Japan

year of inscription. 2004 (modification: 2016)

criteria. Cultural

This WHS marks ancient pilgrimage routes and its associated sacred sites dating back some 1,200 years. The three sacred sites of Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, and Koyasan are set in the forests of the Kii Mountains. These sites are connected by pilgrimage routes, which are further linked to the ancient capital cities of Nara and Kyoto. Worship customs in these areas date back some 1,200 years and incorporates ancient Japanese animistic practices, Shinto traditions, as well as Buddhist rituals. Besides the three main sites, this WHS also includes pilgrimage routes and sub-routes, sacred natural objects like trees, forests, and mountains, as well as stone mausolea and stupas.

Galápagos Islands

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country. Ecuador

year of inscription. 1978 (extension: 2001)

criteria. Natural

Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu

country. Peru

year of inscription. 1983

criteria. Cultural

This WHS, located in the Cuzco region, stands at some 2400m above sea level. It is regarded as the most significant legacy of the Inca civilization, showcasing the culture’s artistic and architectural accomplishments, set amidst a tropical rainforest and with its structures seemingly cut out of the rock escarpments. Known in Spanish as La Ciudadela (The Fortress), the settlement with both urban and rural functions, was built by the Incas in the 15th century CE, abandoned in the 16th century with the Spanish conquest of the Incas, and ‘re-discovered’ in 1911.

Taj Mahal

country. India

year of inscription. 1983

criteria. Cultural

The Taj Mahal is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is a white marble mausoleum built between 1631 and 1648. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The building complex is considered to be the most prime example of Indo-Islamic architecture.

Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area

country. Japan

year of inscription. 1993

criteria. Cultural

The Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area represent some of the oldest surviving wooden structures in the world. The oldest buildings in this WHS date back to the late 7th and early 8th century CE. These ancient wooden structures are located in two temple sites: the Horyu-ji temple and Hokki-ji temple. The architecture is reflective of an adaptation of Chinese Buddhist style to Japanese culture and is also significant historically as it was during this time that Buddhism was introduced from China to Japan by way of Korea.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape

where. Japan
what. stamps (Japan, personalised stamps, n.d.)

Historic Monuments and Sites of Hiraizumi

where. Japan
what. stamp (Japan, 1954)

Palace and Park of Versailles

country. France

year of inscription. 1979

criteria. Cultural

This WHS, located in the Ile-de-France region, was the principal residence of French monarchs from King Louis XIV to King Louis XVI for over a century. The construction of the Palace of Versailles began in 1624 CE, and over the years, under the patronage of the various kings, many architects, artists, and landscape designers contributed to produce the palace, as it seen today, having been the inspiration for other European palaces. The palace is surrounded by gardens designed by Le Notre, credited as the creator of the typology of French-style gardens.

Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities)

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 1994

criteria. Cultural

Angkor

country. Cambodia

year of inscription. 1992

criteria. Cultural

The Angkor WHS is located in the province of Siem Reap. It is the site of the remains of various capitals of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century CE. Over the whole area, there are numerous temples of various sizes, irrigation systems, and transport routes. Some of its more famous monuments include: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, and Ta Prohm. Altogether, this archaeological site is evidence of the high level of development of the Khmer Empire.

Mont-Saint-Michel and its Bay

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country. France

year of inscription. 1979 (modifications: 2007, 2018)

criteria. Cultural

Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara

country. Japan

year of inscription. 1998

criteria. Cultural

Nara was the capital of Japan, between 710 C.E. and 794 C.E. The component sites here showcase the architectural, cultural, and historical aspects of Japan from that era. The site is composed of eight component sites: five Buddhist temples, one Shinto shrine, one palace, and one primeval forest.

Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining

country. Japan

year of inscription. 2015 

criteria. Cultural

This WHS bear testimony to the rapid industrialisation of Japan from the mid-19th century CE to the early-20th century CE, through the iron and steel, ship-building, and coal industries. It is evidence of what is regarded as the first non-Western nation to have undergone Western industrialisation, while adapting the technology to local social norms, needs, and materials. The twenty-three component sites in eight areas are spread across the prefectures of Fukuoka, Iwate, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Saga, Shizuoka, and Yamaguchi.

Controversy arose over the listing of this WHS. South Korea raised objections as Korean and Chinese labour were forced to work under harsh conditions at some of these sites in Japan’s war efforts before and during World War II (1937 – 45). While the period of the Meiji Industrial Revolution did not coincide with that of the forced labour, South Korea alleged that the two events, as part of Japan’s empire-building attempts in the early-20th century CE, were inextricably linked. Criticisms of Japanese attempt to list the WHS also came from China and North Korea for similar reasons. South Korea eventually withdrew its objections when Japan pledged to acknowledge and commemorate the use of conscripted labour in the relevant sites, and the WHS was listed in 2015; however, in 2018, UNESCO censured Japan for its unsatisfactory efforts in keeping its pledge to do so.

Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine and its Cultural Landscape

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 2007 (extensions: 2010)
criteria. Cultural

Himeji-jo

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country. Japan

year of inscription. 1993

criteria.  Cultural

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)

country. Japan

year of inscription. 1996

criteria. Cultural

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (also known as the Genbaku Dome), in the prefecture of Hiroshima, is the sole structure left standing in the area of the first atomic bomb explosion on 6 August 1945, and preserved in that state since then. The skeletal remains of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotional Hall serves as a reminder of the immense destructive force that humankind can create; yet, is also a symbol of the hope for world peace and for the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons.

The nomination of the site as a WHS raised concerns from China and the United States. China felt that its listing could be used to downplay Japan's wartime aggression, while the United States decried the absence of the historical context that necessitated its use of nuclear weapons.